In the conventional apparatus of this type known heretofore, there is furnished a capability of issuing a plurality of kinds of labels. Each of such issuable labels is printed according to a preset format related thereto, so that the kinds of required labels correspond in number to such formats. Exemplary contents of the label formats include a bar code and a print position. A desired format is selected by inputting a related parameter through manipulation of keys.
The technical problems existing in such prior art are as follows. For selecting each preset label format, it is necessary to execute a key-input action at each time, and therefore changing the label format becomes troublesome. In addition, the key-input action itself is complicated to eventually increase the intricacy, and in particular it is difficult to preset multiple kinds of formats. Furthermore, means for presetting such formats are not uniform, consequently bringing about more difficulties in the operation.
There is disclosed an exemplary structure in Japanese Patent Application No. 60 (1985)-188821, wherein label sheets and receipt sheets are stored individually in respective cassettes, and such cassettes are selectively loaded in a printer so that printing on a label sheet and printing on a receipt sheet can be automatically switched. According to the above contrivance, an identification mark representing the kind of the contained sheets is put on each cassette, and the mark is detected in the printer upon loading of the cassette, whereby a printing operation is performed in a mode conforming to the result of such detection. Therefore, mere loading of the cassette accomplishes automatic setting of the desired printing mode that corresponds to the sheet used. In such apparatus, however, the advantage is nothing but automatic setting of the type of a sheet for printing, i.e. a desired format relative to the print type, and it is impossible to execute automatic setting of any format with respect to various contents to be printed.